1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tapping trees and particularly to an improved mobile apparatus for drilling taps and inserting tap cylinders to tap trees.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Drilling and tapping trees for turpentine in forests is time consuming and labor intensive. The area for work is confined because of the remote location and density of multiple trees within forested farms where turpentine is obtained. Equipment that can be used in these forested areas without requiring great amounts of human labor is not readily available. Previous attempts to improve drilling and tapping of trees to reduce labor and time required have been made using portable drills in connection with gasoline powered machines that are carried on a person's back. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,434,089 to H. E. Allen show a portable drill tree tapping machine with a plate carried on a user's back by straps. The backpack plate includes an attached support for a motor and fuel source for driving a drill. The motor drives the drill through a flexible drive shaft, and the drill is removed to drill a suitable hole in a tree. U.S. Pat. No. 2,563,195 to R. L. Soule et al. is very similar and includes a power plant with a gasoline engine attached to the shelf of a back support. The drill is driven by a flexible shaft.
In these above examples and other apparatus for tree tapping today, the person using the machine is required to manually hold the drilling bit against the trunk of the tree being tapped. For insertion of a tap at a preferred height of 6 inches above the ground, these machines require bending over. It's noteworthy that while this process is taking place, the person is carrying a heavy load with a machine on his or her back usually having a fuel tank and a running motor. In addition to drilling the hole for the tap, the tap consisting of a short pipe for syrup or sap to flow through must be inserted into the hole that is made. One can easily understand that after only a few trees, the person handling this labor will become tired and may suffer physical discomfort after a day of such heavy labor. Thus, an ongoing need exists for an improved method or apparatus for tapping trees that will reduce the labor and time required at a reasonable cost.